Cartridge



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J. P. ELLIUT. CARTRIDGE.

led July 22,

Nirnn STATES ATENT Frm JOHN P. ELLIOT, OF MARTINEZ, CALIFORNIA.

CARTRIDG E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,440, dated May 23, 1899.

Application filed July 22, 1898. Serial No. 686,558. (No model.)

To @ZZ whoml it' may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. ELLIOT, a citizen of the United States, residingl at Martinez, county of OontraOosta, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Cartridges; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Myinvention relates to a device for the discharge of projectiles containing high explosives in such a manner that the initial impulse ot the projectile will not be accompanied by such a shock as will tend to explode the charge within it before it leaves the gun.

It consists in the parts and the constructions, arrangements, and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure l is a longitudinal section showing the union of the projectile and the impelling charge and the means for igniting the latter. Fig. 2 shows the same relation of the parts and the exterior barrels in which the chambers are formed, with a means for connecting the same.

In order to impel projectiles containing high explosives, it is necessary to avoid the sudden initial shock which would be produced in the ordinary methods of firing guns with charges of powder, this shock being so violent that it is very probable it will discharge the high explosive at once and before the projectile leaves the gun.

To avoid this is the object of myinvention, and it may be effected either by forming a cartridge containing the projectile and the impelling charge of powder in a single structure or the gun may be formed with the projectile and charge chambers connected, so as to produce the same results. In either construction the diameter of the powder-.chamber is much less than that of the projectile.

When the projectile and the powder are not united in the form of a cartridge, the gun is made with a barrel having a projectilechamberA of such diameter as the size of the projectile will require, and connected with the rear portion of this projectile-chamber is the powder-chamber B, of smaller diameter and having a suitable length, proportionate to the weight of the projectile. These two chambers are connected by interlocking screwthreads, as shown at C, and the front end of the chamber B is concaved orflared outwardly,

so as to form a space at the front for the expansion of a portion of the powder charge, which will thus occupy a diameter approximately as great as the diameter of the projectile-chamber.

The projectile D is made to [it the chamber A, which may be ritled, or the the projectile may be in other ways guided so as to move accurately as it is discharged from the gun. The projectile is made hollow, having a chamber D', which is adapted to contain a high explosive, and it may be ignited by impact, by means of a percussion-Caper primer E at the front, or in other well-known ways, this being no part of my invention. The rear of the projectile is closed by a plug F, having a pin or extension F to the rear. Surrounding this pin or extension and having a diameter approximately the same as that of the project ile, so that it ts within the barrel of the gun, is a cushion G, which is made of any suitable elastic material-such as rubber, gutta-percha, or a combination of these and canvas or cloth-which may be made in a sheet and rolled up to the proper diameter to iit the barrel of the gun and be interposed between the projectile and the powder charge, as shown.

In order to ignite the powder charge in such a manner as to insure the burning of the whole charge with a gradually -increasing force, I have shown a iiring pin or rod H, which extends through the center of the powder-chamber to the front,vwhere it contacts with the projection F at the rear of the projectile. The front end of this pin or rod is adapted to receive the cap or primer, and the rear end,vextending through the breech-pin at the rear of the powder-chamber, is so arranged as to be struck by the hammer or other ring device, and when this is done the primer at the front will be exploded. The gas from the cap or primer being discharged rearwardly around the ring-pin will iirst ignite the powder in the front of the powder-chamber, and the iirst impulse to the projectile will be given at this instant. The powder thence burning from front to rear the increase of the gases produced by the explosion will impel the projectile with an accelerated motion until it is finally discharged from the gun, and all 0f the powder within the powder-chamber will be burned without being thrown out of ICO the gun, as might be the case if the ignition take place from the rear. In order to still further reduce the initial velocity,.I prefer to employ a powder of low force at the Afront of the powder-chamber, the remaining portion ot' the charge being of greater explosive force, so that the weaker powder being first ignited will start the projectile, and the impulse of the stronger powder will then increase its velocity without the sudden shock which would otherwise result. The cushion G being interposed at the rear of the projectile the irst impulse of the explosion is further cushioned upon this elastic block, and the projectile is thus started with the slowest possible initial velocity, which is afterward rapidly increased to as high a velocity as may be desirable when it leaves the muzzle of the gun. I have also found it desirable to unite the powder charge and the projectile into a single cartridge, which maybe used in a gun having a uniform caliber. In order to provide such a cartridge and at the same time to maintain the different diameters of the powder and projectile chambers, I have shown the cartridge as made up of paper rolled around a mandrel which will give the proper size for the powder-chamber B, while the thickness of the paper which forms the outside, as at B', is sufficient to give it a diameter equal to that of the projectile D. The front end of the cartridge is cut away in a iiat bevel inwardly to allow the powder within the chamber B to spread out into this portion and beneath the elastic cushion G, as previously described.` The rear end of the cartridge thus formed has fitted upon it a metallic head I, flanged, as sh own, to provide ahold for the shell-extractor. After the cartridge has been iired the cartridge is made up by placing the powder-chamber B in contact with the rear of the elastic cushion G, this being connected with or attached to the rear of the projectile D, and the ring-pin II extends through the, center of the powder-chamber, with its front end approximately in contact with the pin or extension I4" at the rear of the projectile. I then wind a sufficient number of thicknesses of tough paper J around the powder-chamber and the projectile, so as to bind the two together. The number of thicknesses of paper thus wound around would be sufficient to equal the diameter of the part of the cylindrical portion of the head which surrounds the exterior of the powder-chamber, made up as described. The casing .I extends forward, inclosing in like manner the projectile to nearly the front end. This paper Will be torn and destroyed at the junction of the powderchamber with the cushion G whenever the charge is fired, leaving the powder-chamber within the barrel of the gun, so that it may be extracted by any well-known or usual means for extracting shells from guns.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A cartridge comprising a projectile, a powder-chamber of less diameter, and having a fiaring mouth at the front, a cushion interposed between the powder-chamber and the base of the projectile, a pin extending rearwardly into the center of the cushion and a firing-pin extending through the powder-chamber and adapted to ignite a primer by contact with the rear of the rst-named pin.

2. A cartridge consisting of apoWder-chamber of small diameter with an exterior inclosing casing built up to a diameter equal to that of the projectile, a projectileot equal diameter with the exterior of said casing, a cushion interposed between the base of the projectile and the front of the powder-chamber, a pin extending rearwardly into the center of the cushion from the base of the projectile, a liring-pin extending centrally through the powder-chamber from the rear having the front end adapted to receive an explosive cap or primer and abutting against the pin at the rear of the projectile whereby the ignition of the powder in the chamber commences at the front of the charge.

3. A cartridge comprising a projectile, a powder-chamber having an exterior diameter equal to that of the projectile and a small inner diameter to receive the powder charge, a metallic head iixed to the rear of the powderchamber having a hole made centrally in it, a firing-pin extending through said hole having the front end adapted to receive a primer or percussion-cap a projectile having a diameter equal to the exterior diameter of the powder-chamber, a pin extending rearwardly from the base of the projectile to contact with the front end of the firing-pin, an elastic cylindrical cushion within the center of which the iiring-pin and projection from the projectile meet and an exterior paper wrapperinclosing the powder-chamber and the projectile, said wrapper being separable at the front of the powder-chamber when the cartridge is iired.

4;. The combination with a projectile, of a powder-chamber in rear thereof and of less diameter, a cushion interposed between the powder-chamber and the base of the projectile and through which the base of the projectile is exposed and a tiring-pin extending through the powder-chamber and adapted to ignite a primer by contact with said exposed base.

5. A device of the character described comprising a projectile-chamber, a powder-chainber of inelastic material and of less diameter, than the projectile-chamber, and having an open Haring mouth at the front, and a cushion interposed between the powder-chamber and base of the projectile and exposing said base.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN I?. ELLIOT.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, Jnssln C. BRODIE.

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